Lourdes University in Sylvania is offering a six-week summer program to prepare high school students at Waite and Woodward high schools for post-secondary education.

The Upward Bound program has been offered at Lourdes since 1999. This summer 39 students are enrolled.

The summer program, which began June 8 and runs through July 17, offers educational opportunities in math, English, science, Spanish, and technology.

“The goal of the program is to help low-income and first-generation high school students prepare for college and hopefully they will graduate,” Upward Bound Director Tonya Colbert said.

Students in the program range from freshmen to seniors and many have been in the program for multiple years. Advisers track the progress of the students throughout the school year and visit each high school three times a week to meet with students.

“You take classes and they actually help you prepare for the next year,” said Deon Williams, a senior at Waite. “Like sophomores going into junior year, they actually prepare them for their junior-year classes, so they basically have a head start.”

The courses over the summer help students narrow their academic focus and begin thinking about career plans beyond high school.

“I want to become an FBI agent,” said Amber Crigger, a senior at Waite. “I’m thinking about Lourdes for the criminal justice program.”

As part of the program, students have the opportunity to go on college visits and hear from admissions counselors from the area. Ms. Colbert said students recently toured the University of Toledo and Cleveland State University.

“I never thought there were so many colleges out there, like, you can go here or you can go here,” Federico Garza, a senior at Waite, said. “It really opened my eyes to so many other colleges besides the ones close to home.”

The program concludes with a talent show by the students on July 10 and an educational excursion to Philadelphia in the final week.

Ms. Colbert said it is inspiring to watch the students progress through Upward Bound and she often hears success stories from students who go on to college.

“It’s amazing to watch, when you have some students that come in with even below a 2.0 [GPA],” Ms. Colbert said. “I know if they work diligently and they have the support that is needed, they can be successful. To see that happen is one of my favorite things.”

Contact Brian Buckey at: bbuckey@theblade.com or 419-376-9414.

First Published June 29, 2015, 4:00 a.m.